Do you understand the purpose behind your training blocks? Do you recognize progression even when your numbers don’t show it? Today, the physiology of getting stronger and faster and how it’s all baked into your training plan. How to balance intensity with volume, and how training blocks should seamlessly overlap along with the psychology of repeating the same workout and why it’s so good for your training.
Topics:
Chattanooga 70.3 and heat
Happy and Healthy Baseline
Base Phase and Build Phase
Addressing specific parts of a discipline
Specific Stimulus
How Running and Cycling Blocks should mesh together
Training Shouldn’t Start over each year
How most athletes stunt their development
Looking at your total athlete profile
Why Ironman over-books entries
It’s really fun to get faster
It’s not just about training more
Reality vs. Best interests of the athletes
Hot, cold, hilly, flat?
It’s all about where you start
The tight rope of racing vs. non-racing
Allocating Stress in training
When to lower volume and up intensity
Creative workouts may mean “random”
The psychology of repeating the same workouts
Athletes crave familiarity
Why you shouldn’t “always” see improvements
How to know if your legs are adapting
Applying appropriate load is the number one job
How to recognize your improvement when it’s not obvious
When you need a workout smoothie
The C26 Online Hub is now open to the public! Click here to learn more about what’s in the Hub and take advantage of our “Pay What You Want” for a limited time.
Are you selling your ability short based on past experience? What if you detached from digital results that can contain you? Today, the stresses under the surface, plus, how to approach your return to the pool. Also, aligning your confidence with your potential the power of chipping away at goals.
Topics:
Block training explained
How to get back into the pool
How to kill 2 birds with one stone in swimming
Swimming is upper body
You don’t have to be in shape before you go
Different types of athletes
Varying reasons for racing
Don’t let your mind say you can’t do something
When you open new doors
You don’t fast-forward through the training
The beauty of chiseling away
I’m so much better than I thought I was . . .
Sometimes you just have to see it
Are you faster than you think you are?
Detach from digital recaps that “define” you
Redefining your “why”
Why holding back can be stress
How we sneak in performance accomplishments
When confidence doesn’t align with the effort
The “Oh, I can do that” syndrome
“I’m just not good enough”
When we become comfortable in self-loathing
The C26 Online Hub is now open to the public! Click here to learn more about what’s in the Hub and take advantage of our “Pay What You Want” for a limited time.
On today’s Crushing Iron Triathlon Podcast, we talk about why races are not expiration dates. This is about a never ending journey to be and get better. Today we look at some of the things that wedge their way into consistency with training. Whether it the Devil and Angel on your shoulder, or biting off more than you can chew because you feel good one day. We talk training outlines, recovery, and general perspectives on how you can find a groove and stay in it.
Topics:
Discoveries can be in the mystery
Where do you gravitate?
We are on a never ending journey
We race on the same course as the pros
Do you simply enjoy Being and Getting Better?
Does this sport compliment and supplement your life?
We all came from a place
Were you looking for something or needing something?
The march forward should still be going on
The Devil and Angel
Snowball effect
Transitions in life . . .
A race isn’t an expiration date
Building patterns and behaviors
The toughest weeks for consistent athletes
Taking your foot off the gas for recovery
Responding to a Day Off
Coach Robbie’s legit fear
boy is it easy to get off track
Being consistent in not being consistent
We get used to one way that works
Do you study all semester or cram for the race?
The C26 Online Hub is now open to the public! Click here to learn more about what’s in the Hub and take advantage of our “Pay What You Want” for a limited time.
This title comes from two things: The strategy behind days off and cherishing the ability to do what you do before you can’t anymore. How good perspective can minimize stress and increase enjoyability. There’s also TONS of cycling talk, including power, cadence and riding against the wind, and how to taper/prepare for two races that might wind up close together. Toward the end we discuss an awesome post from an athlete who described his “when” as his why. How being grateful for what you are able to do can be a genuine motivator to enjoy the possibilities of each day.
Topics:
The power of flexibility
Being comfortable if things don’t work out on time
Doing things the right way instead of having to do it
Minimizing current stress and minimize future stress
Riding into the wind
Cadence talk on the bike
Finding your most powerful pedal stroke
Pedal stroke explained
Single Leg drills
How dead spots add up
Knowing your limitations
Run cadence and load
Mastering effort between the zones
High turn over in the swim
Managing watts into and against the wind
Race spacing – How much time do you need between
The longer the taper . . . the . . .
Races are a HUGE stimulus boost
Fitness bumps from races
“My when is my why” – Patrick Gill
Do your days off really make sense??
You can’t get time back
The C26 Online Hub is now open to the public! Click here to learn more about what’s in the Hub and take advantage of our “Pay What You Want” for a limited time.
It’s funny to look back at my head space 10 months away from my first Ironman. I was 49 years old and had just started running earlier that year. I’m a little bit amazed to recognize a lot of little things that sort of became the foundational principles for what ended up being the Crushing Iron Podcast.
I signed up for Wisconsin with four other guys and Robbie would later become our coach. This is the first interview in what was planned to be a documentary made about the process. We still have hope it will come together, but a lot has changed.
Here’s what’s covered in this Interview Clip with Mike:
Trusting the process
Predictions for his first Ironman
What’s the reason or cause for doing his Ironman?
How losing his close friend motivated him at the time
The full interview is about 13 minutes and in the C26 Online Hub. Click here for details.
How and why he got into Ironman
The memory of when he first signed up for Ironman Wisconsin
How he used sports to give him an edge in training
What he hoped to get from Ironman training
How he got involved with the other 4 guys he trained with
Importance of training with others
Was he scared about Ironman?
Trusting the process
Predictions for his first Ironman
What’s the reason or cause for doing his Ironman?
How losing his close friend motivated him at the time
Gratitude . . .
For more information on C26 Triathlon Coaching, Camps, and Community, please visit C26Triathlon.com
By Mike Tarrolly, Co-Host of the Crushing Iron Podcast
I’ve done 7 Ironman’s in 7 years and I have yet to truly get a handle on the importance of recovery.
Sure, I’ll take naps and over-sleep and skip workouts, but the real problem comes back to one nuance: I don’t know how to pull back the reigns.
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE
The biggest challenge with a recovery day or week is: we can tend to feel fresh and strong. “Oh, Mike, but how is that a problem?” For me it boils down to…. “Hmm, could probably push this a little harder or longer and catch up on some fitness I gained when I skipped January.”
Yes, that’s the thought process and I believe it may be our biggest challenge in training.
JUST DO IT
We grow up with this “crush it” or “just do it” mentality and those habits are hard to break. We always strive to get better, but how can taking it easy make us stronger? Maybe it makes sense to term things “sleep workouts” instead of “recovery workouts.”
SLEEP WORKOUTS
We all know these things innately, but it’s good to be reminded. When we sleep well, we give the body rest and ability to rebuild, ie… recover from the day before. So, that is what I’m suggesting. Go sleep your way through a workout. Make it embarrassingly lame.
I also think about the concept of “training to heal” a lot. We all know that boundary and it’s especially valuable in recovery workouts. Get in the mindset of “this feels like I’m doing nothing.”
THE CATCH UP GAME
Twice this past week I played the “catch up game.”
For one, I haven’t been running much because of plantar fasciitis, but decided it was time to push the envelope. This is always a slippery slope, but in the moment it felt right.
So, despite the flack I catch for roller blading, I upped the ante with three straight days of hour-plus skates followed by a short 20-30 minute run. My own experience tells me blading is about half the effort of running, so in this example I essentially ran 8-9 miles a day three days in a row.
Now, the caveat is in the less pounding nature and honestly it felt good at the time. Until day 3.
I actually felt okay until the last mile of that day 3 run. That’s when it hit me like a brick. The sun, the heat, the fatigue. That sort of deep experience that tells you, it’s time to stop despite all your desires.
I did my best with a solid recovery meal, then went straight for an exhaustion nap. I woke up with this, “why am I doing this to myself” feeling.
“SEIZE THE DAY” IN MODERATION
That was Sunday, so Monday, despite not riding much at all lately, I decided it would be a good idea to take my bike outside for the first time of the year. I was a little fatigued, but Carpe Diem!
I honestly felt pretty great. The blading is a perfect cross-train for cycling, but that is also the problem! Suddenly I thought it was a good idea to blast my quads for four straight days out of nowhere. It crossed my mind to ride for a couple hours, but I settled for one. It didn’t seem like I was pushing too hard, but a subsequent nap and post-exhaustion feeling proved I was indeed out of my zone.
That was Monday and this entire week has been a bit of a shit-show. Low energy, low desire, low everything.
“STOP SHORT”
But now it’s Thursday (after a couple rest days) and I’m feeling good. And guess what I am fighting the urge to do?
You guessed it, I’m back and ready to rock this thing!
It’s crazy to me but makes sense because it’s that natural tendency we have as humans. One or two cookies is probably fine, but three is too much. It’s a constant struggle to appreciate that your body is willing to bend, and certainly recover if you break it, but life is so much easier and more rewarding if we just respect the limits and realize (in the immortal words of Frank Costansa) it’s okay if we just stop short.
On that note, I think I’ll go mow half my lawn.
For more information on C26 Coaching, Camps, and Community, please visit C26Triathlon.com.
Crushing Iron Podcast #371 – “How do you turn this workout from, I gotta do workout, into I want do this this workout.”
Races are not expiration dates and triathlon should be about a never ending journey to be and get better. Today we look at some of the things that wedge their way into consistency with training. Whether it the Devil and Angel on your shoulder, or biting off more than you can chew because you feel good one day. We talk training outlines, recovery, and general perspectives on how you can find a groove and stay in it.
Topics:
Discoveries can be in the mystery
Where do you gravitate?
We are on a never ending journey
We race on the same course as the pros
Do you simply enjoy Being and Getting Better?
Does this sport compliment and supplement your life?
We all came from a place
Were you looking for something or needing something?
The march forward should still be going on
The Devil and Angel
Snowball effect
Transitions in life . . .
A race isn’t an expiration date
Building patterns and behaviors
The toughest weeks for consistent athletes
Taking your foot off the gas for recovery
Responding to a Day Off
Coach Robbie’s legit fear
Boy is it easy to get off track
Being consistent in not being consistent
We get used to one way that works
Do you study all semester or cram for the race?
The C26 Online Hub is now open to the public! Click here to learn more about what’s in the Hub and take advantage of our “Pay What You Want” of 9, 29, or 49 dollars for a limited time.
As many of you know, we are opening a training center in Chattanooga: The C26 Hub. We’re right on track and construction should be done soon.
Our vision for the C26 Hub is to create the ultimate hang for triathletes. We will have all the equipment you need to dial in your swim, bike, run, but it is also a spot where our athletes can visit, hang, and immerse themselves in a positive atmosphere in an awesome training location.
Below is a photo of the outside and the C26 Hub will be the entire first floor. It’s a little hard to tell, but it is a big open space with high ceilings that will house among other training tools, an endless pool with all-angle-video to help athletes find their optimal stroke in the water. We will also have coffee, movie nights and many other happy and healthy activities.
This is a picture of a garage door that will open into a big outdoor patio for lounging, hanging and other chill activities. We’re sure to have many opening nights for camps, training weekends and pre-Ironman races here.
This is a HUGE room that will house the endless pool. It’s hard to explain how awesome this will be and how many of you will be able to finally sort out the kinks in your swim stroke.
There is much more news to come on the C26 Hub and Training Center. We are developing packages that will be similar to a custom spa weekend, but designed specifically for triathletes. We hope to have housing and meal options, along with suggestions for swimming, biking and running while you’re in town.
Stay tuned for information on how you can schedule your C26 Hub Experience.
For more information on our Coaching, Camps and Community, visit C26Triathlon.com
Key Question: How often should I test my FTP (Functional Threshold Power)?
Crushing Iron podcast #369 is taken over by the athletes from our Facebook group. Are you being too hard on yourself right now? We start with a look at adjusting your workouts for success. Then get into why FTP tests may be the most overrated thing for long course racing. Can you get away with doing your own bike fit? Bike injuries that affect your run. Unsupported races. The most useless things in triathlon. And how to ride intervals when you’re outside.
Topics:
Are you being too hard on yourself during this pandemic?
What are you reading?
Our own life is the toughest to navigate
People will find a way to figure this out – a discussion of trust and patience
Do we have faith in where this is going?
Are you getting stronger during this time? Mentally, physically, emotionally?
What’s the best thing we’ve seen during all of this?
The small things are what matters
Selfish or Selfless?
How often should I retest my FTP?
Why FTP tests are overrated
How most athletes RUIN their race
Which Race would Mike and Robbie Relive?
Which one would you do over?
Do you carry too much on the run/bike?
Self fit a bike or bike shop fit? Save money or no for first true road bike. New to biking.
I’m finally getting the hang of pushing intervals on the trainer. How do I best translate this to outside…seems harder to control effort.
What is your insight and advice for athletes participating in or adding their own virtual run/bike races during this time and what can we learn from these results?
Lots of talk about unsupported (i.e. bring your own hydration/nutrition) races. Thoughts? Is it even possible for a FULL IM?
What’s the most useless thing triathletes often try to force into their training?
Would you be open to regional training camps? How many people do you need for it to make sense?
Can you get stronger without a trainer? How often should recovery work – stretching, foam rolling, etc be incorporated & when? Like shortly after a workout? Later in the day? Before?
The C26 Online Hub is now open to the public! Click here to learn more about what’s in the Hub and take advantage of our “Pay What You Want” for a limited time.
Looking for an awesome coach this season? Former Professional triathlete, Jessica Jacobs is now coaching for C26 Triathlon. Check out her bio and contact information at our Coaching Page on C26Triathlon.com
If you’re looking for a great custom coaching plan, please check out the new C26 Systems Plan for 2020 at the new c26triathlon.com. Coach Robbie will lay out your entire season (from 12-40 weeks) culminating at your A-Race. Take the confusion out of your entire year for only $499. The package includes team events, access to our online hub resource library, priority camp registration and more.
Big Shout out to podcast listener and WordPress designer Bobby Hughes for helping get the new c26triathlon.com off the ground. If you like what you see and may need a website, check out Bobby’s work at https://hughesdesign.co/
C26 Coach Robbie talks about FTP and the differences between riding inside on the trainer and going outside.
You don’t change your power based on terrain, you change your cadence based on the power you’re supposed to maintain.
If you can get outside consistently with a power meter, it’s a good time to get out and readjust. Power outside, for many is significantly higher. The watts or zones of the effort level is much different.
It’s physically and emotionally harder to produce power inside.
